


A Meeting in the Human World?

by silentdroplets



Series: In the Ice Mirror [6]
Category: Bleach
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-08
Updated: 2016-10-08
Packaged: 2018-08-20 04:07:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8235527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentdroplets/pseuds/silentdroplets
Summary: Hitsugaya is to buy a drink Matsumoto has been craving for autumn, and bumps into a familiar figure there. When they come across a Hollow, he has to do whatever it takes to protect her from it.





	

"Sheesh, she just  _had_  to start craving for persimmon drinks now."

The tiny figure pulled the jacket around his arms and continued his journey down the pavements of Karakura Town's food streets. "Why persimmon spice latte, though?" he muttered, sticking both hands in his pockets. It was autumn, and the winds, although cold, were biting. 

They certainly loved sinking their fangs into the captain's skin at that moment. "It probably tastes horrible."

Hitsugaya sighed. A cloud escaped his lips and dissipated into the cloudy skies. 

"Still, at least she's doing her paperwork. Better have her drinking caffeinated stuff instead of sake."

He turned round the corner, his teal eyes scanning the row of shops down the street. Autumn brought about rain and stormy weather, along with crunchy leaves and beautiful colours. It also brought along the start of a whole new season of clothing and foods.

"She would probably go bonkers at such a sight and buy up everything," he said to himself, eyeing the rows and rows of clothing and accessories beyond the clear glass windows. "Good thing I didn't let her come."

He stopped in front of a little shop. "Well, this is the place, I think," he said, sniffing the trails of aroma around the area. 

The bells jingled as he pushed the door open and stepped in, pulling a few coins out of his pocket and setting it on the counter.

"One persimmon spice latte, please," he said.

The girl at the counter raised an eyebrow. "You shouldn't be drinking coffee at such a young age, boy," she said gently. "Would you rather have a cup of warm milk instead? It is rather cold here-"

"I'm  _not_  a kid," he growled, resisting the enormous urge to get out of his gigai and stabbing her with Hyōrinmaru. "Please, just give me the drink."

"Well, if you aren't a kid, then I guess you just look pretty young then!" she chirped, gathering the  _yen_  into a small pile and dropping it into the cash register. "One persimmon spice latte coming right up!"

He sighed in relief. At least she hadn't denied him the drink or started a conflict with him.  _Today's one of the rare days_ , he thought.

The drink was placed on the counter.

He took it gratefully, nodding to the girl who had served him earlier, and began to walk towards the door.

Before he could pull the door open, however, a familiar figure had already pushed it and stepped in, nearly colliding into the white-haired captain.

His eyes widened upon seeing the girl in front of him.

"K- _Kurosaki_?!"

She looked up, a confused look on her face, before smiling and waving at him.

"Oh, it's you, Toshiro!"

Karin glanced at the drink in his hand. "Didn't know you were a fan of coffee," she said. "Didn't you have green tea at Granny Haru's place?"

He sighed - in irritation this time. "This isn't for me," he explained. "I came here to get some persimmon thing for Matsumoto, simply because she was so  _obsessed_  over the spirit of autumn."

Turning around to make way for the couple who was coming in, he followed Karin to the counter. "She was so intent on getting the drink, she even promised to do all her paperwork while I went - which I'm sure she wouldn't," he grumbled, flicking the lid of the cup in his hand. "Well, at least she isn't getting drunk this time."

She stared at him before bursting into laughter. "So you're Rangiku-san's servant now?" she asked, much to Hitsugaya's annoyance. "What a nice profession!"

"I'm not her servant!"

Karin dropped a coin into the cashier's upturned palm and turned around to lean against the wooden counter. "How did you get the coffee without the people here making fun of you, though?" she asked, looking at the boy in front of her. "They're usually pretty cheeky, especially since they're high school students like my brother."

"I was served by that girl-"

He pointed to the lady who had taken the money from him and given him his drink.

"-and I'm not sure about whether she's actually mean or not."

Karin glanced at the girl, who was laughing with another boy while flipping cookies and stuffing chocolate into them. "Oh,  _her_ ," she said, as though she had finally understood a mystery held unsolved for years. "She's the nicer one here."

He raised an eyebrow, not at all interested in the workings of the staff system in the store. "I  _see_ ," he said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Y-You don't have to be so snappy, Toshiro!"

He sighed. 

A hand reached out to pat the girl on the shoulder, and Hitsugaya headed for the door. "Be careful and get back quickly," was all he said before the door closed behind him with a jingle.

"H-Hey!" 

Karin turned around, pulling the cookie bag off the counter and rushing to the door.

The breeze swept her hair around her face as she scanned the streets, searching for the tiny captain.

"Geez, where did Toshiro disappear to now?" she grumbled, walking along the concrete path to her home. "Well, at least I got to see him. It's been ages since we've last met."

She turned around a corner, and what she saw next made her loosen her grip on the bag and let it drop to the ground.

"T-Toshiro!"

The captain's gigai was cowering in a corner, an utterly frightened expression settling on his face as the Hollow in front of them drew nearer to them. She resisted the urge to giggle and looked up.

Hitsugaya's sword was unsheathed and its blade pointed at the enormous creature that was a Hollow. His Shinigami robes flew about his legs, the captain  _haori_  fluttering wildly in the bitter autumn air.

He glanced back in an attempt to make eye contact with Karin. "Get behind me!" he shouted to the winds, hoping that  _somehow_ , the girl would hear him amidst the Hollow's roars and footsteps-

_Footsteps?_

Horror taking over him, Hitsugaya turned around - properly this time - and growled a hurried "Sit upon the heavens, Hyōrinmaru" as he pointed the sword at the giant monster.

Unfortunately for him, the Hollow dodged the serpentine ice dragon that erupted from the blade of his sword and made a beeline for the other girl at the scene.

Karin.

He gritted his teeth in frustration. "Kurosaki, get out of there!" he cried, but his voice was taken away by the gale that had whipped up when the clouds gathered above him.

_Damn this. If she wasn't alone there, maybe she wouldn't be so defenceless._

_That's it._

_Don't leave her alone there._

With a single flash-step, he landed next to the stunned Karin. His fingers clasped around her wrist, gripping it tight as he flung her over his shoulders and onto his back.

Making sure she was securely placed on his back, he gripped the hilt of Hyōrinmaru tightly and took off for the Hollow's head.

Karin was in a daze - everything had happened so quickly, the Hollow stomping over and looming over her, threatening to eat her, Hitsugaya's faint cries in the distance, a sudden blur, and she was flipped over. Now, she was latched onto his back.

She realised what  _exactly_  was happening.

"Toshiro, put me  _down_!" she shouted, getting ready to jump off at the next chance she got. "Or I'll do so for myself-"

And they were off, sailing in the air in a flurry of swift flash-steps, the surroundings blurring to a kaleidoscope of colour. 

She tried to look into the environment, but they were travelling so fast she couldn't make out anything around her. "P-Put me down," she said more weakly, digging her nails into his shoulders. She couldn't get off - death was evident if she jumped off right there and then. 

Hence, the only logical thing to do was to cling onto his back for dear life as he went about killing the Hollow - which she heard him doing so, a swift  _chop_ slicing through flesh like it was nothing but mere  _blancmange_ , and the Hollow was gone.

Hitsugaya slowed down, and so did the blur of the surroundings as everything turned solid once again.

"Sorry for that," he said, slipping the sword back into its sheath. 

She shook her head. "It's fine!" she said, a smile beginning to form on her face. "In fact, that was really cool even for someone as young as you, Toshiro!"

A vein popped from his forehead. "For the millionth time, Kurosaki," he growled. "I am  _not_  a child or elementary student!"

She laughed as he picked his gigai up and slipped back into it. He turned around.

"I ought to accompany you back to your house," he said, a deep frown settling on his eyebrows. "Who knows what other Hollow might come to hurt you or your family."

She waved her hand at Hitsugaya. "It's fine, really," she said, beginning her journey back home. "You don't have to."

He ran up to her, eyebrows raised. "Your brother told me before that if anything were to happen to you when I was around, he would kill me," he said, crossing his arms. "As I'm certain he wouldn't be able to lay a finger on me, I'm not scared, but you're a girl who can't protect herself just yet."

"Fine, whatever you want to do."

The barest hint of a smirk crossed his lips. 

"Good."


End file.
